Do you ever feel like your kids (or grand kids or students) tune you out when you talk about God?

Several years ago, I told my boys I wanted to talk about the last supper because it was the Thursday before Easter. My oldest, Gideon, rolled his eyes and said, “And I’m plugging my ears starting…now!”

At that moment, I was tempted to either slap him upside the head [in-the-name-of-Jesus] or give up this Christian-parenting thing altogether. Clearly, it wasn’t working.

But just before I completely threw in the mom towel, he surprised me yet again. As I decorated the dining table with ceramic eggs and bunnies for Easter lunch later that day, he said, “Mom, why are you decorating with those things? You know that’s not what Easter is all about!”

The Bible says that God’s Word does not return void. It may feel like your words, your encouragement, your songs, or your prayers are falling on deaf ears, but even when you think the little ones are not listening, seeds are being planted.

“The rain and snow come down from the heavens
and stay on the ground to water the earth.
They cause the grain to grow,
producing seed for the farmer
and bread for the hungry.
It is the same with my word.
I send it out, and it always produces fruit.
It will accomplish all I want it to,
and it will prosper everywhere I send it.
(Isaiah 55:10-11 NLT)

Before my husband and I had children, we decorated a gender-neutral nursery that would work for any and all of our future children. We chose three age-appropriate Bible verses to paint on the walls so that our kids would be surrounded by Scripture even from the beginning. The verse shown below is 1 Timothy 4:12: “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith, and in purity.”

When Gideon was young, I read the verses to him during our bedtime routine. About the time he was potty training (around two years old), I decided to see if the repetition was making an impact. So I read the verse as usual, but paused to see if he could fill in the blanks.

“Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are…”

“Young!” he said.

I beamed and continued. “But set an example for the…”

“Believers!” he said, and I could imagine the powers that be working on my mom-of-the-year award.

“Great!” I went on. “…in speech, in life, in love, in faith, and in…”

He looked up at me and said with all sincerity, “And in tee-tee!”

It turns out, Gideon was not only hearing and becoming familiar with God’s Word, he was also, in his own childlike way, already applying it to his life!

So listen up all you moms, grandmas, or Sunday school teachers – if you’re feeling frustrated that the kids are completely ignoring you when it comes to all things spiritual, remember God’s promise. His Word does not return void. I imagine we will always have those moments when the kids tune us out and we think it’s hopeless, but just remember to keep planting those seeds anyway. In His perfect time, you’ll begin to see fruit.

Q: What experiences have you had with the kids in your life when it comes to planting the seeds of God’s Word?

Emily E. Ryan is the Executive Editor of Priority Ministries and the author of three books including Guilt-Free Quiet Times and Who Has Your Heart? Connect with Emily on Facebook and Twitter.